Gage for liquid-containing tanks.



P. E. TANNERI I GAGE FOR LIQUID CONTAINING TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1914.

1 179,47 1 Piltfilitfid Apr. 18, 1916.

Wain

W WM 7% P. E. TANNER.

GAGE FOR LIQUID CONTAINING TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. m4.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ZZZW P. E. TANNER. GAGE FOR LIQUID CONTAINING TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. I914.

Patented Apr. 18,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PERRY E. TANNER, or nxn'on, 01110.

GAGE FOR LIQUID-CONTAINING TANKS To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY E. TANNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron-,in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement" in .Gages for Liquid- Containing Tanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. f

Thisvinvention relates to gages for liquid containing tanks and has for its object the provision of a very simple, economical, re-' liable, and inexpensive'form of gage whereby the amount of liquid-.remainingin the tank can be determined at any time. The

' ends particularly aimed at in the provision y within the tank can be determined by the of my improved gage are lightness, so as to 'permitit to beused in connection with the fuel and oil tanks of motorcycles, airships, and the like; cheapness, so as to permit its use upon inexpensive machines, compactness so as to permit it to be installed in a tank without the necessity of. providing a large opening in the side thereof; and serviceability, so as to permit its continued operation under adverse conditions or severe mishandling.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character means of which the amount of liquid sense of touch practically as well as by the Y sense of sight, thus facilitating its use at night or in emergencies where the operator is unable to divert his eyesight, while further-objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. I I I Generally speaking my invention maybe defined as consistingiof the combinations and constructions recited in the claims 'hereto annexedand illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, wherein;

Figure 1' is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken through. a preferred form of my improved gage, showing the same in position in a. liquid-tank; Fig. 2 is a detail view taken upon the line 2-2 of Fi 1 and looking downwardly;-Fig. 3 is a etailview of a portion of the gripping mechanismdrawn to enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a vertical, crosssectional view of a modified form of my invention, showing the. application of the same to a comparatively inaccessible tank;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed May 29,1914. Serial No. 841,777,

Fig. 5-is a detail view taken upon the line -55 of Fig. 4 and looking downwardly;

Fig, 6 is adetail, view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a detail,

cross-sectional View showing a modified form of gripping mechanism; Fig. 8isa sectlonal view showing a still further modification of the gripping mechanism; Fig.

9 is a vertical, cross-sectional view showing a third modification of the gage device; and Fig. 10 is a detail view taken upon the line 1010 of F 9 and looking downwardly.

Describing I by reference characters the parts illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 represents a liquid containing tank of any nature or construction but having an accessible top 2 in which is formed an o ening ,3 over which is applied a cover-p ate 4.

Depending from this cover plate is a' guide member 5 which. extends substantially to the bottom of the tank and is there bent laterally as-at 6 andfinally upwardly again as at 7, forming a U-shaped device. Surrounding the guide member 5 is an annular float 8 to which is secured a gripping memberl which in the present embodiment, comprises an elongated, horizontal leg lying the top of the float, an incl1ned'por-' tion 10 projecting into the aperture ofthe 'float, a portion 11 at right angles to the "portlon 9, and a terminal'portion 12 substantially parallel to the portion. 9. The inclined portion 10 is formed with a cylindrical aperture 14 whose axis is substantially perpendicular to the portion 10' and Whose size issuflicient to permit the floatto slide reely along the guidemember 5 in case t eir axes are parallel. The .portion 12" is also formed with an aperture '15 adapted for the reception of this guide member, and preferably of elongated form so, as to permit the gripping device to rock with refer- -ence-theret.

Supported for movement independently of the fioat butparallel to the guide mem;

her 5 is a feeler member, arranged to engage 'and operate said gripping'device so as to lock the'sa'me upon the guide member and thereby have its own movement posi jtively arrested. In the present embodimentthis feeler. member comprises a hollow sleeve 16 'slidably'mounted on the leg 7 and projecting outside the tank through a suitable aperture in the. plate 4. The upper 'end 9 over-' of this sleeve is provided witha. handle 17 whereby it may be grasped, and its lower I end with an enlargement 18. adapted to enasto. bring the projection 18 into contact I with the portion 9 of the gripping devlce Whe n it is desired to ascertain what :this' gage the end of the leg 9 which is here shown. as bifurcated and havin branches '19 embracing'this sleeve. The e ges of'the part 10 about the aperture 14 are made sharp as shown at '2() in Fig. '3.

With this. construction the float will normally take a position substantially at the v in which the member which guides the float level of the liquid as shown in Fig. 1.

level is the sleeve 16 is drawn upwardly so whereupon the same is inclined or canted slightly so' that the edges 29-20 of the aperture 14 bite against. the guide member 5 and resist further movement of the sleeve.

The amount of liquid in the tank is then determinable either by means of suitable. gra'du'ations on the exterior of the sleeve or by the general position of the sleeve, and the latter can be determined to an accuracy sufficient forv most purposes about as well by the sense: offeeling as by the senseof sight. The forcelof the engage ment between the gripping device and the guiding member depends entirely upon the force exerted on the feeler member and not at all upon the float action, the float serving merely to set this gripping device at a point dependent upon the liquid level. Accordi-ngly force with which the feeler member is manipulated has no effect upon the indi- Fig. 4 may be employed. In thisview the v tank is indicated at 1, the cover plate at 4,

the latter carrying a guide member 5 similar to the guide member 5, andalso an independent supporting member 7 parallel thereto. S' lidably mounted upon the guide member 5 is a float 8 similar in'all respects to that previously described .and likewise J having a gripping device with its overhanging arm 9 slidably mounted. upon the guide member 7 is a weight 25 towhich is attached a chain orlike tension member 26 which passes through an aperture 27- in the cover plate and is suitably secured to a Qflexible tape 28 provided with a'handle 29 whereby it maybe grasped. In the present embodiment the chain is passed through a loop 30 carried by theend of the tape and brought back to' an anchorage 31 carried by the cover plate; thus rendering theloop 30 a kind of pulley and causing the movement of the tape to be just onehalf of what it would be if it were connected directly tothe chain.- This tape may be carried to any convenient place "for reading, the arrangement here illustrated consisting of passing it through asuitablefitting 32 carried by the tank casing; and the tape may be provided with 'graduations indicating the volume of andcarries a gripping device here shown as consisting of two plates 3737 having central registering beveled apertures 38 pro- ,viding sharp biting edges 20= 2O arranged to grip the exterior of the guide member upon tilting of the float. Inside of the guide member 5 is mounted -a slidable rod 39 having at its lower end a side branch 40 projecting through the slot 35 and arranged to engage a portion of the float at a. distance from its center whereby the same may be tilte'd so as to grip the guide member and arrest the further movement of the rod 39.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated another em' *bodiment of my invention wherein a hollow guide member'5 is employed having sleeved thereon an annular float 8 having secured to its lowerportion a plurality of fingers 45-45 loosely holding in place a metal plate 46. This plate has a central aperture 47 receiving the guide member 5 and providing the abrupt biting edges 20." Within the guide member 5 is slidably mounted therod 39 having a side branch 40 projecting through a slot in the side of the guide'mem- -ber and adapted to engage the plate 46 at a distance from its center so as to incline the same as shown in Fig. 8 and arrest the further movement of the rod 39. -It will be apparent that the rod 39 and branch 40 need not be arranged inside of the float but could this embodiment the guide member 5 is mounted upon this guide member as before be outside as wouldbe the case if the float 8 or 8 together with its accompanyingparts were substituted bodily for the floats shown in Figs. 1 and 4. I I

In Fig. 9 I have shown yet another modification more particularly adapted for use in connection with vacuum or pressure tanks or those containi g noxious or inflammable fumes. In this embodiment the tank 1*, guide member 5, float 8 and gripping member 9 are the same as in Fig. 4. Depending from the cover plate 4 parallel with the guide member'5? is a hollow tube 50 having in its side an elongated slot 51 and having slidably mounted therein .a feeler member consisting of the plunger 52. This plunger isnormally maintained at the bottom of this 'tube by means of a suitable spring 53, and is raised upon occasion by means ofja suit- .able tensionmember 54, preferably a smooth surfaced cable. This cable passes through a soft rubber plug 55 which, upon the retraction of the plunger seats within the flared upper end 54 of the tube and is thereby constricted upon the cable so as efficiently to prevent leakage. Undue displacement of this plug is prevented by means of the cap 56 secured to the cover plate, which also forms a mode of attachment for the pulley 57, while the plunger 52 is provided with a laterally extending finger 58 adapted to engage some part of the float 8 and tilt the same so as to arrest the further 'movementof the plunger. In this embodiment the side of the float is shown as notched as at 58 for the reception of the tube 50, and is thereby held against rotation so that the gripping device may always be in a position to bite uponthe guide 5. In Figs. 1 and 4the end of the cal, no such expedient is necessary.

grippin members 9 and .9 are shown as forked or the same purpose, while in Figs. 7 and 8, the gripping device being symmeirlie gripping device shown in Figs. 1, 4: and 9 is rigidly connected to the float so that the float itself is tilted slightly by the action of the feeler, though this construction is entirely for purposes of convenlence in manufacture and is not essential. In similar contrast Fig. 7 shows a modification in which the gripping member is rigid with the float I Having thus described my invention, what 1. A gage for liquid containing tanks,

comprising a guide member adapted to be secured inside the tank insubstantially vertical. position, a float slidable therealong, a gripping member connected to said float, a feeler member movable in a direction sub.- stantially parallel to said float and adapted to operate said gripping member, said gripping member being arranged to grip said guide member upon engagement by said feeler member, and means for operating said feeler member from the exterior of the tank, whereby its position when arrestedby said gripping member shall serve to indicate the amount of liquid in the tank. 1

2. In a gage for liquid containing tanks,

signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

a manually reciprocable member, a movable member supported for sliding movement adjacent to the path of movement of said reciprocable member and engageable, therewith to prevent its movement therepast, and

a float connectedto said movable. member and adapted to shift the position thereof along its path of movement according to the level of the liquid in'said tank.

3. In a gage for liquid containing tanks,

a manually reciprocable member, a guiding member adjacent thereto, a gripping device carried by said guiding member and projecting into the path of-movement of said reciprocable member and adapted when engaged thereby to become rigidly affixed to said guiding member so as to prevent said reciprocable member from moving there past, and a float connected to said gripping device and adapted to shift the position thereof'according to the level of liquid in the tank.

' for movement adjacent to' said guide member and adapted to engage said gripping device and afflx it to said guide member whereby the movement of saidfeeler member is arrested.

5. In a gage for liquid containing tanks a guide rod adapted to be secured in upright position in said tank, a gripping device movable along said rod and comprising a metal plate having an aperture therethrough receiving said rod, the edges of said aperture defining biting edges adapted to grip said rod when said plate is inclined, and a manually operable feeler member movable along a path adjacent to said rod and adapted to engage and tilt said plate, whereby said plate will be immovably fixed to said rod and the further movement of said feeler member prevented.

6. In a gage for liquid containing tanks a. i pair of substantially parallel guide rods adapted to be supported in upright position inside the tank, a feeler member slidable along one rod, a gripping device slidable along the other" rod and having apart projecting into the path 'of movement of said feeler member, said gripping device being adapted to be secured immovably to its rod when engaged by said feeler member, and a float connected to said gripping device and adapted to shift the same along its rod.

In testimony whereof, I hereuntoaflix my- PERRY E. TANNER. Witnesses:

E. W. STT'IART,

W. TANNEB. 

